Governance: Success Stories
Mongolia: Courtroom Automation
The USAID-program of courtroom automation, initiated in 2001, continued apace during 2002. Four pilot courts were initially involved, including two in Ulaanbaatar (Capital City Court and Sonkinoharkhan Court), one in Mongolia's second largest city (Darkhan Court), and one in a small provincial town (Mandalgov). In response to popular request, excess used computer equipment in the largest of these courts was placed in a much smaller fifth pilot court in Mongolia's South Gobi province.
The new procedures, sofware and networking resulted in an unprecedented increase in transparency and accountability. Prior to automation, those wanting information would have to convince a judge to retrieve handwritten case notes from a safe. Now, each automated court boasts its own public access terminal. For the first time, individual judges as well as the chief judge can also immediately access needed information. Court administrators appreciate the important role that computers can play in improving efficiency. At the same time, the access and openness provided by computers strikes an important blow for transparency and openness within Mongolia's judiciary.
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